The Sundance Channel haspicked up pay television rights to Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's true-crimedocumentary The Staircase.

The eight-part miniseriesfollows the investigation into the cause of death of Nortel executive KathleenPeterson, and will premiere as a special Sundance Channel DOCday seriesbeginning on Apr 4.

The Maha Films production isthe latest release from de Lestrade, who won the 2002 best documentary AcademyAward for Un Coupable Ideal withDenis Poncet.

The deal was negotiated byChristian Vesper, vice president, acquisitions, Sundance Channel, and byCatherine Le Clef, of the Paris-based Doc & Co. on behalf of thefilmmakers.